Advent Adventure- 5 Days to Christmas: Manufactured Joy
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But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)
A white-painted fence left to nature and time will slowly rot and fade away. The paint will chip, and the wood will warp, leaving straight and narrow fence posts to slant, buckle, and cave. Routine maintenance is needed to keep the fence pristine and functional. Constant replacement, check-ups, repaints, and improvements must be made on a regular basis to see that the fence stays up and serves its function. Left to its own devices, wooden fences will turn to mulch. This is the same with our spiritual life within us as well. We must constantly do soul checks, maintenance, and upkeep to ensure our lives do not crumble.
We see the results that working out and training our physical body produces. We can also see our minds growing as we take classes or read books to increase our knowledge. The same is true for our spiritual lives, but it gets a little bit trickier. While we play a very active role in carving out time and space for spiritual growth, it is something that we ourselves can’t do alone. God has designed our spiritual growth to be dependent on Him. It is much more of a relationship that requires two parties to actively participate. While going to the gym or library in itself will produce results, centering ourselves on Christ through prayer and scripture requires active engagement from the Holy Spirit. Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22 that “… the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives:… Joy…”. It is the Holy Spirit who works within us to bring about joy. But we play a crucial role.
In 2 Kings 4, Elisha performs a miracle to save a widow and her son. When Elisha asks the woman to bring whatever she has in her house, she provides a small jar of oil. He then tells her to get as many jars as she can and to pour the oil into all of the new jars. The miracle happens: her tiny jar of oil doesn’t run out until all the other pots and jars are full. God filled up what space He could work with. God will fill whatever space you provide for Him.
If you have been struggling this week during the Advent Adventure as we focus on joy, let me give you an exercise to help increase your joy. Your job is to sit in the presence of God and wait for him to move. God’s role is to produce the fruit in your life. When Joy feels far away from the depths of your Spirit, what do you turn to for life? It may be difficult to tune out distractions and not focus on Christ’s Joy, but take every moment of diversion as an opportunity to return to God. While you are sitting there and praying, take a few deep breaths and breathe in the words joy while exhaling the words anxiety or sorrow. In sitting and breathing, you are making space for God.
He will fill up as much as you bring, so come ready for a giant blessing of joy! I hope you have enough jars.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.